FAYETTEVILLE — Can Arkansas rebound from being a four-touchdown loser to Alabama one season to knocking the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide from their perch atop the SEC and the nation the next season?
College football fans, enthralled by SEC football as evidenced by attendance and TV ratings, are eager to see the answer to that question Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. ESPN’s Game-Day crew might have opted for Boise State this week, but the nation’s marque matchup will take place in the Ozarks with CBS Sports on the scene.
Alabama, one of the most physically imposing teams in college football under fourth-year Coach Nick Saban, doesn’t just aim for victory. It aims for domination, rekindling memories of Bear Bryant’s glory days in the mid-1960s and late 1970s.
“That is an important mind-set for us to have, simply because we want to leave no doubt every time we step out on the field,” Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said. “Coach has made that clear many times.
“We want to be a dominant team in the SEC, and I think having that mind-set and wanting to be dominant allows us to approach each game with a focused mentality, regardless of our opponent.”
Saban’s Crimson Tide have won 17 consecutive games overall and 27 in a row in regular-season play as they enter their SEC opener Saturday.
One of those victories was a 35-7 drilling of the Razorbacks last year. Afterward, Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino blamed himself for not having his team believing it could go into Tuscaloosa and win.
“We felt like it was a big learning experience for us,” said Petrino, whose team was coming off a confidence-shattering 52-41 home loss to Georgia one week earlier. “We didn’t execute the way we normally do. I felt like it was because when we stepped on the field we didn’t truly believe, and I think we learned from that.”
CBS analyst Gary Danielson said the first part of Saturday’s game is really the second part of last year’s contest.
“Since that game last year, Arkansas has really learned what it takes to play in the SEC,” said Danielson, who will be working Saturday’s game. “Their players and coaches were humiliated pretty good against Alabama last year.
“It’s one of the reasons Ryan Mallett came back this year. That game left a bad taste in his mouth. The whole team saw what was necessary to win at this level.”
A different attitude permeates the locker room for 10thranked Arkansas.
“It’s going to be a way different game from what y’all saw last year,” receiver Joe Adams said in the aftermath of the Razorbacks’ 31-24 victory at Georgia last week. “We’re going to come with our A game.”
Arkansas drew some confidence after shutting out the Crimson Tide in the first quarter in last year’s game, but a tackle-breaking 52-yard touchdown run by tailback Trent Richardson started Alabama on its path to a convincing victory.
“Trent Richardson, we had him for a 5-yard loss and he breaks six tackles and goes 50 or 60 yards for a touchdown,” said Arkansas defensive end Damario Ambrose, a Mobile, Ala., native. “We can’t let them get started early.”
Said Arkansas linebacker Jerico Nelson, “We were with them early in the game, thenwe gave up two big plays that went for touchdowns.”
The second score was a Wildcat snap that looked like an end around before quarterback Greg McElroy took a second handoff and hit Julio Jones for a 50-yard flea-flicker touchdown.
Arkansas pulled within a touchdown on Ryan Mallett’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Greg Childs on its first possession of the second half, but McElroy went deep to wellguarded Marquis Maze on the next snap for an 80-yard touchdown and the Razorbacks didn’t get as much as a sniff of the end zone after that.
“They took it to us,” Mallett said. “We stayed in there for a half. The second half, we just weren’t in it.”
Alabama had its experienced defensive backs like Javier Arenas and Kareem Jackson locked in on almost every Arkansas route, and the Crimson Tide pass rushlodged three sacks and eight hurries on Mallett.
“I honestly felt like that was one of the worst games we ever played,” Arkansas receiver Jarius Wright said. “I know for sure as a receiving corps that it was the worst game we ever played.”
Alabama has replaced nine defensive starters off its national championship team, and although the Crimson Tide’s defensive stats have been solid - they lead the SEC in total defense and scoring -- Saban said he knows there’s room for improvement.
“I think our team will find that you really are only as strong as your weakest link, and I think everyone has got to fight a better fight against better competition,” Saban said.
The rest of the SEC, and the nation, is watching.
Sports, Pages 17 on 09/24/2010